East Bengal face Al Hussein in Jordan, with momentum and an Indian core challenging the champions’ experience.
East Bengal’s AFC Champions League Two campaign begins in Jordan on Wednesday. Just 60 hours before the match, excitement peaks as Jordanian champions Al Hussein have parted ways with head coach Ahmad Hayel, meaning assistant coach Bashar Bani Yaseen will take charge on an interim basis against East Bengal.
The sudden change adds another layer of uncertainty for the hosts. Al Hussein have struggled for consistency recently, winning once, drawing once and losing three of their last five matches. They will now begin their continental campaign under a temporary head coach.
Hayel, meanwhile, has a previous connection to East Bengal’s recent continental journey. He was an assistant at Al Arabi in Kuwait last season, although he was not part of the coaching staff when Al Arabi faced East Bengal. The Kolkata giants eliminated Al Arabi in the ACL Two qualifier to reach the group stage.
East Bengal’s Indian core provides confidence
East Bengal, however, head to Amman with momentum and confidence. Several members of their Indian contingent have been among the team’s standout performers. Edmund Lalrindika and Anwar Ali have impressed in recent outings, with Lalrindika’s movement, work rate and ability to exploit space making him an important attacking outlet.
The ACL Two qualifier against Al Arabi further underlined the quality within East Bengal’s Indian group. David Lalhansanga, Jay Gupta and Jeakson Singh were among the key performers in the 4-1 victory that secured their place in the group stage.
The club’s new defensive additions have also settled quickly. Sandip Mandi and Hardik Bhatt have shown encouraging form, giving head coach Manolo Habas a more dependable defensive platform heading into the opening group-stage fixture.
In the pre-match press conference, Habas said, “We are excited to participate in the ACL Two Group Stage. It’s a unique chance to compete at the highest level in Asia, and we want to inculcate the same mindset in the players.”
He also added, “We want to continue the winning momentum that we achieved over the past two months. We want to replicate that success in tomorrow’s game against Al-Hussein.” That Indian core could be particularly important against a physically strong Al Hussein side.
Al Hussein’s recent form offers East Bengal hope
Al Hussein are no ordinary opponent. They have won the Jordanian Pro League for three consecutive seasons and have significant continental experience, having reached the knockout stage of the ACL Two in each of the last two seasons.
Their squad also includes several Jordan internationals who featured during the country’s 2026 World Cup campaign, including Yazeed Abulaila, Saleem Obaid, Abdallah Nasib and Mahmoud Al Mardi.
However, the champions enter Wednesday’s game with concerns of their own. Al Mardi is carrying an injury and remains doubtful, while Brayan Riascos is also unavailable. Their attacking depth has been further affected by Paul Komolafe’s departure after the striker terminated his contract by mutual consent just a week before the fixture.
Masoud Juma and Pedro Henrique remain part of their foreign contingent, but the hosts will have to cope with significant changes ahead of their continental opener.
Momentum vs experience
For East Bengal, the equation is straightforward. Al Hussein have the advantage of playing at home, along with greater recent continental experience. But East Bengal arrive with confidence, momentum and an Indian core that has been producing strong performances.
The coaching change at Al Hussein could make the contest even more unpredictable.
If Habas’ side can handle the physicality and the home pressure, East Bengal will have a genuine opportunity to begin their ACL Two group-stage campaign with a positive result.
Predicted XI
East Bengal (4-4-1-1): Prabhsukhan Gill (GK); Hardik Bhatt, Diego Zivulic, Anwar Ali (C), Sandip Mandi; Jay Gupta, Jeakson Singh, Raynier Fernandes, Bipin Singh; Dani Ramirez; Edmund Lalrindika.
Al Hussein (4-2-3-1): Yazeed Abulaila (GK); Ahmad Assaf, Saleem Obaid, Abdallah Nasib (C), Ali Hajabi; Mahmoud Shawkat, Youssef Qashi; Omar Ghanjouq, Mahmoud Theeb, Obeida Al Namarneh; Aref Al Haj.
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